The Pre-Purchase Eyeball for a used car

At Automotive Revival, we receive a number of calls asking if we have time to look over a customer’s potential purchase. Absolutely, we say, as we LOVE giving the Pre-Purchase Eyeball to any car someone is considering buying. It’s always a wise idea, and we are especially good at it. We test drive it, put it up in the air, poke and prod at it, listen to it, and generally get all up in its business. And when we are done having our way with it, we come at you with its report card and overall grade. Did it pass? Maybe, maybe not.

Some cars are better than others, but through it all, nothing lasts forever. Why is it for sale? Does it have around 100k miles on the trusty odometer? We usually see this magic number, as it is generally the time the owner needs to make some weighty financial decisions. Most cars need their first major service around this time.

This brings up the next question: how much will this service cost? The easiest answer is, every manufacturer varies, and some are reasonable while others are wickedly expensive. Some cars are just easier to inspect and some need a more careful eye to really see what’s going on inside.

But it does pay to figure out how much basic service/maintenance costs, like brakes, tune-ups, timing belts, etc. How much will you spend on these if you decide to purchase the car? If you know this, you can at least be prepared. And just because a car needs a repair doesn’t mean it’s a bad car. If you like it and it can be fixed, it’s worth exploring.

And this is where we can help, as we know how much, why, and when the car will need fixing — and will be sure to tell you. Once you are armed with a report card from our inspection, you can zip right back to the seller and have a wonderful chat as to why they need to take $800 off the asking price, or you’re walking. Easy.